Metal half walls are used from time to time in commercial as well as residential construction. Basically, a metal half wall comprises a pair of tracks, an upper and a lower track, and a series of spaced apart studs that are secured between the upper and lower tracks. Generally, the lower track is anchored to an underlying support structure such as a floor. Once framed, it is common to secure a wallboard such as a gypsum board to the outer sides of the framed wall.
Half walls are aesthetically pleasing and often very useful. However, half walls, because they are not anchored or supported at the top, generally have structural deficiencies. That is, because of the lack of any upper support structure securing the upper track, these half walls tend to be less stable, especially when encountering a side load. For example, side loads imposed upon such half wall structures tend to cause the half walls to deflect or tilt from side to side. Further, if there is inadequate support structure integrated into the lower portion of the half wall, the individual studs may be prone to twisting in response to certain side loads being applied.
Therefore, there has been and continues to be a need for improving the structural integrity of metal half walls.